A Study of Comparative "Love" in Two Novels "Az Khame Chanbar" by Mahmoud Dowlatabadi and "Never Leave Me" by Kazuo Ishiguro based on Sternberg's triangular theory of love

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 PhD Student in Persian Language and Literature, Eghlid Branch, Islamic Azad University of Eghlid, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University of Shiraz, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Eghlid Branch, Islamic Azad University of Eghlid, Iran.

Abstract

. Introduction
Love is one of the common topics of psychological topics and literary works that can be examined and compared in the framework of interdisciplinary researches" (Mahmoudi, 2019: 91)
This article aims to compare the narrative of love, using Sternberg's love triangle theory, and has selected two well-known contemporary novels from two different cultures and believes that love is one of the natural characteristics that is common to all human beings regardless of the historical and cultural backgroundand examining its reflection in the works of different nations can establish cultural links between them.
This article aims to compare the narrative of love, using Sternberg's love triangle theory, and has selected two well-known contemporary novels from two different cultures and believes that love is one of the natural characteristics that is common to all human beings regardless of the historical and cultural background. and examining its reflection in the works of different nations can establish cultural links between them.
This theory also explains the nature of the components of love and considers "love" to be understandable and explainable in the form of its three constituent elements, that is, intimacy, lust and commitment (Sternberg, 1998: 9-10). The approach of this research is comparative literature based on the American school.
According to "Rene Volk", the founder of this school, "comparative literature has become an established term for any kind of literary study beyond the borders of national literature."
Comparative study provides the opportunity to compare different views of world writers on various subjects and its relationship with other sciences on a wider level. The use of psychological theory in this research is also chosen based on this.
 
2.Methodology
The current research is a descriptive-analytical research. Its data is of a textual type and includes sentences expressing the variables of intimacy, passion and commitment based on Sternberg's theory, which is collected through the study of library-documents and its results qualitatively described, compared and reported.
 
3.Discussion
The authors of both novels selected in this article came from different cultural backgrounds; Dolatabadi is familiar with the traditional rural life of the 50s after the land reforms in Iran, and Ishiguro is familiar with the traditional culture of Japan after World War II and influenced by English literature.
Both of them experienced the period of transition and transformation of their society in a way, and in their works, they implicitly reflected the mutual influence of love and emotional relationships of humans and the limitations of social life.
The stories "Az Khem Chenbar" and "Never Leave Me "are not purely romantic works, but love is seen in the normal life of the characters and in the background of other events and affects them.
In both stories, social and cultural conditions have an effect on the appearance of the three components of the "love triangle" and how it occurs and causes subsequent events. "People's
romantic experience is strongly influenced by culture and is based on the environmental characteristics of the events of the two stories.
"In the culture of some societies, love is one of the necessities of marriage, but in the culture of another society there is no connection between the two" (Sternberg, 1998: 19).
In the novel " Never Leave Me"Heilsham School" which is created and elaborated by the author's mind; The main limit is the life of the characters.
The prevailing conditions, "scientific" conditions and human profit seeking, are for obtaining donated organs, which has caused the birth of students and the establishment of Heilsham School, and overshadow on the relationships of Heilsham boys and girls and made them victims.
The sense of intimacy and commitment of the students is strengthened while learning and living together in one group, that is, Heilsham Boarding School; But the opportunity of life and passionate love has been taken away from them.
The main characters, Ruth, Tommy and Kat, are dynamic characters who try to change the situation because they need to prove their love for a better life.
The story of "Az Khem Chanbar" realistically reflects the image of the social life of its era in the rural area called "Rahim Abad" where the relationships of people, under the shadow of social conditions, beliefs and convictions, difficult economic conditions and poverty, under the influence of male dominance and Local customs are formed within the framework of the family and without codified education
Strong characterization is one of the common points of these two works. The character of the manager in Dolatabadi's work and the character of Hilsham's supervisors in Ishiguro's work represent people who sacrifice "love" for their own profit.
The parents of "Maru", the character around whom the events of Dolatabadi's novel take place, abandoned him and entrusted him to his aunt in order to improve their economic conditions
Therefore, like the students of Hailsham, she is far from her real family, with a forced marriage, she does not have the opportunity to express her passion.
Taher is a static character who considers Maru's wife as his right, and "Maru" is a dynamic character who becomes Taher's wife against her will and works to change the situation. "At the same time, the culture around us makes beliefs; The experience of love also changes."The feeling of love is one thing, and showing it in the form of behavior in a way that the other party feels; is a lover; Something else (Armstrong, 2013: 40-24
Examining the behavior of the characters using Sternberg's theory identifies the elements of love and its components in two novels and shows that the authors were able to; By paying close attention to the social and cultural factors of the society of the story, create images of the components of love with characterizations and descriptions of their behaviors in the reader's mind.
 
4.Conclusion
In the novel "Az Khem Chenbar", the love of "Tahir" to his wife "Maru" is a "stupid love" composed of lust and information, and the information of theory. Maru's love for Tahir, in which only the element of "intimacy" can be seen; It is of the "loving" type
Mr. Manager's love for Maru is of the "passion" type, that is, it has a strong image of lust and a weak image of intimacy and lacks commitment.
Mirjan's son's love for "Maru" has a dimension of excitement on the part of Mirjan's son, and it is revealed only in the form of a conversation between other characters in the story, and it can be considered a type of "infatuation". In this novel, the frequency of behaviors indicating "lust" is more than "intimacy" and "commitment".In this novel, the narration of behaviors that indicate "intimacy" is more than the other two components.
In the novel " Never Leave Me", according to Sternberg's theory, the love between Kat and Tommy is of the "ideal love" type, between Kat and Ruth, of the "romantic" type, between Kat and Lenny, "infatuation" and between all three. Ruth, Kat and Lenny are of the "loving" type.
The behaviors that show the components of "intimacy" and "commitment" are more in the novel
"Never Leave Me" than in the novel "Az Khem Chanbar" and the behaviors that show "enthusiasm" or "lust" in the story "Az Khem Chanbar" are more than the story " Never Leave Me
Therefore, it can be said that these two authors have proposed types of love and its elements that are consistent with Sternberg's theory and can be compared and compared with each other.
Among the types of "love", mentioned; Two types of love, "loving" and "infatuation" are common in these two works.

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